A UK study found perpetrators of violence usually harm those physically weaker than themselves and as a result ‘abuse of animals occurs frequently in conjunction with human abuse’.
Photograph: PR

The pets of women and children fleeing family violence will be offered protection as part of a program funded by the Victorian government.

Numerous reviews have shown that perpetrators of family violence use threats and harm to pets as a way of maintaining control of their victims, and that victims may delay leaving an abusive relationship out of fear of what will happen to their pets.

Over the next four years, $100,000 will be given to the family violence response service, Safe Steps, to build relationships with animal welfare agencies such as the RCPCA and family violence services, the state government announced on Sunday.

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Victoria’s minister for families and children, Jenny Mikakos, said the funding would give people in violent situations greater confidence to seek safety.

“This small program will make a huge difference in helping victims leave violent situations and get support,” she said.

Kim Gentle is a survivor of family violence who now lives in Port Hedland. Her perpetrator is now in jail, having physically, financially and emotionally abused Gentle. He also killed her dog.

“He threw her off a cliff,” Gentle told Guardian Australia. “He thought I paid more attention to my dog than to him, and that I had more love for her than I did for him. He was jealous. I rescued that dog from the RSPCA and she came everywhere with me. These perpetrators will take anything precious to you.”

Gentle believes pet protection programs for family violence victims should be rolled out across the country.

“Pets have incredible healing powers, especially for children, and that is well documented,” she said.

“I can only applaud Victoria for this program and I hope it follows through everywhere.”

In its submission to Victoria’s royal commission into family violence, the RSPCA said while some animal shelters provided ad hoc welfare boarding for the pets of people fleeing family violence, they were poorly funded.

“Funding for welfare boarding is unreliable and often limited,” the submission said.

“Welfare boarding is only provided by animal shelters when they have the capacity to do so. Local governments should have a responsibility to provide welfare boarding for animals and this should not be a responsibility of charities. A government supported system is required.”

The CEO of RSPCA Victoria, Dr Liz Walker, said the government’s funding announcement on Sunday was “encouraging”.

“We look forward to being part of the development of a broader strategy to address the temporary sheltering and care of animals across the state,” she said.

A 2012 report provided to the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the National Collective of Independent Women’s Refuges in New Zealand found cruelty to pets was most commonly reported as a form of punishment.

“Cruelty involved injury or death of an animal in retribution for a family member’s unsatisfactory behaviour,” the report found. “As such, animal cruelty was orchestrated to directly hurt the woman and child(ren). The outcome of the abuse was a level of intimidation that secured the families’ compliance and obedience for fear that a cherished animal would be beaten or killed.”

Another study, from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics in the UK, found perpetrators of violence usually harmed those physically weaker than themselves and as a result “abuse of animals occurs frequently in conjunction with human abuse”.

Animal abuse was a red flag for other forms of violence, it said. “Unfortunately, health agencies do not give the human–animal violence link sufficient weight in public health policy,” the study found.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) 1800respect.org.au is the national 24/7 counselling helpline for family violence.

The Men’s Referral Service provides anonymous and confidential telephone counselling, information and referrals to men to help them take action to stop using violent and controlling behaviour 1300 766 491.